Youth Development

Regional

The Cherokee Boys Club provides a wide range of services to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, including bus, administrative, ground maintenance, tractor and truck, printing and laundry services, as well as the operation of a children’s home and a recreational park. For more information, contact the Cherokee Boys Club at 828/497-9101, 52 Cherokee Boys Club Loop, Cherokee, NC 28719.

The Junaluska Leadership Council teaches communications and leadership skills to the young people of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians by involving them in tribal government. At any one time, twenty high school students who are enrolled members of the EBCI – five each from the four high schools on or near Qualla Boundary – serve on the council, which is organized and run like the EBCI’s Tribal Council. The young people develop resolutions (like establishing a day to honor a tribal elder, or recommending that the tribe support the development of a major hotel on the reservation) and submit them to the Tribal Council, and they also participate in a variety of community service projects. For more information, contact Radonna Crowe (828) 497-7470, Healthy Cherokee/Injury Prevention, P.O. Box 666, Cherokee, NC 28719.

National

Under the leadership of Founding Chairman General Colin Powell, the mission of America’s Promise is to mobilize people from every sector of American life to build the character and competence of our nation’s youth by fulfilling five promises for young people. These promises are to provide:

Marketable skills through effective education; and Opportunities to give back through community service.

More than 550 community and state partners across the nation have united to fulfill the five promises. These communities have formed grassroots coalitions among the public, private and not-for-profit sectors to generate more resources for young people who need them.

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors young people from diverse backgrounds who have shown extraordinary leadership in making our world better. By helping people, protecting the environment, halting violence, or leading other important service work, these young people are true heroes and inspirations to us all. The Barron Prize relies on thoughtful adults to identify and nominate children (no older than eighteen years of age) from the diverse communities in which they live. The prize accepts nominations on an annual basis and distributes $2,000 awards every fall.

ChildStats.gov offers easy access to federal and state statistics and reports on children and their families, including population and family characteristics, economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education.

Do Something is a nationwide network of young people who know they can make a difference and take action to change the world around them. Among the current programs offered is the Do Something Community Connections Campaign, through which Do Something is helping more than 6,000 community organizations across the country involve young people as leaders in their organizations’ efforts to create a better world. Do Something also provides the Do Something BRICK Award for Community Leadership, which honors and financially supports the best young community leaders in America who are building better communities brick by brick.

The Innovation Center promotes effective tools and strategies for engaging youth and adults as partners in creating positive community change in both urban and rural areas. Through projects with partners and communities across the country, the Innovation Center is helping to create resources for using technology as a tool for positive youth development and community development. In addition, the Innovation Center serves as host to an array of youth development and engagement listservs. The organization also brings together the best practical tools used in evaluating youth development outcomes.

KIDS COUNT has compiled indicators of child well-being from the 2000 U.S. Census and created an interactive online database that uses a simple yet powerful interface to help you quickly and easily create, view, and print reports. National, state and local data is available. There is extensive data about the following subjects:

What Kids Can Do is a national non-profit organization that documents the value of young people working with teachers and other adults on projects that combine powerful learning with public purpose for an audience of educators and policy makers, journalists, community members, and students. Also integral to WKCD’s mission is connecting the fields of school reform, youth development, community development, service learning, and school-to-work. The site features inspiring stories about youth activism, interviews conducted by kids, and information on related resources.

YouthActionNet seeks to connect, inspire, and nurture present and future young leaders. Their aim is to provide a virtual space where young people can share lessons, stories, information and advice on how to lead effective change. It is a space where youth can get up-to-date information, resources and tools to strengthen their work.